When you don’t have a lot of working experience (and you won’t during your first year at work) there are some mistakes that you’re likely to make simply because you haven’t experienced them before.
Here are some common mistakes that you’re going to want to avoid during your first year of work.
1. Being afraid to ask for help
Most of us go into our first year of work thinking that we have to do it all by ourselves. That need to prove yourself can be good for getting you motivated about work, but it can also get in the way of you asking for help. The more you work, the more you’ll appreciate people who’ll make things easier for you when you ask.
2. Coming in early and staying super late
When you first start work you’ll want to prove that you’re a good employee, and sometimes that means you’ll rush to be the first person to get into the office in the morning and the last to leave when it’s closed. The thing about doing this is that soon people in the office will expect this behaviour from you and soon you’ll find that you’re burnt out.
3. Getting too comfortable
Getting too comfortable during your first year is also another mistake that you’re likely to make. You shouldn’t get too comfortable with getting into work too late and falling short of your targets. That’s only going to make you stand out in a bad way.
4. Waiting on approval for everything
Even when you’re not too experienced, you should try to make some decisions on your own. Waiting for approval on everything not only slows you down but when you are able to make moves on your own, your managers are more likely to give you more responsibility.
5. Skipping out on networking events
Social events at work are also very important and you don’t want to miss them during your first year at work. Although they’re rarely ever mandatory, they allow you to meet your coworkers out of the office when it’s easier to bond.
